System for locating the position of movable objects



Oct. 1 8, 1938. c, M|R|K 7 2,133,303

SYSTEM FOR LOCATING THE POSITION OF MOVABLE OBJECTS Filed Nov. 15, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l RA D/A T/IVG ANTENNA FREQUENCY DOUBL //V$. P0 WER AMPLIFIERS MASTER TRANSMITTER IlELE RAD/0 L/NK KC. -L-

INVENTOR Carlos B. Mirick BY 2 a v A TTORNE Y Oct. 18,1938. c. B. MIRICK V 2,133,303

SYSTEM FOR LOCATING THE POSITION OF MOVABLE OBJECTS Filed Nov. 15, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INTERFERENCE ZONES IN FORM OF HYPERBOLO/DS 0F REVOL ur/a/v ABOUT 1 l. E-

a. d a a. -A M A' 2' v SECTION s-s 5/05 VIEW END VIEW mlx ILELE PL AN VIEW INVENTOR Carlos B. Mirick wam ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 18, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIfiE SYSTEM FOR LOCATING- THE POSITION OF MOVABLE OBJECTS Carlos B. Mirick, Washington, D". 0. Application November 15, 1935 Serial No. 49,952

. 1 Claim. (01-. 250-11) (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) This invention relates to radio and to the are employed to designate like parts throughout use of a standing wave pattern in'space for homthe same, ng or determining the location of a movable ob- Fig. 1 shows a master transmitter, oscillating J at some lower frequency F kcs., connected Shanklin in U. S. Patent 1,942,262 issued Janthrough transmission lines to frequency multi- 5 uary 2, 1934, shows an apparatus for producing plying devices located at the input of high freand a method for usefully employing a standing quency radiating doublets, A, A. The frequenwave pattern in space. He uses a very long cy is' stepped up by repeated multiples, as 2F, wave and employs the pattern set up for deter- 4F, 8F, etc., to the desired high frequency to 10 mining the location of a means of transit in a which thedoublets are adjusted. Since the ra- 10 glven area. From the length of waves employed diation is derived from a common source, the and the description of the distance between 5110- frequency may be held the same at each radiacessive interference bands, it is apparent that tor and the phase relation may be kept constant.

Shanklin presents'the picture as it exists in a Fig. 2 shows a similar arrangement in which plane approximating the horizontal, and over a the transmission lines are replaced by links of 15 wide area. ordinary low frequency transmission and recep- Jacquemin in U. S. Patent 1,919,556 issued tion. July 25, 1933, discloses a method for using a Figs. 3, 4, and 5 show three dimensional pr standing wave pattern for locating objects in jections indicating the shape of the interference space, depending primarily upon the employzones or'surfa'ces set upin space, by means of 20 ment of one nodal axis between the two transthe apparatus described herein, for which the mitting' stations, which axis and its properties high frequency radiating doublets are foci. The are ingeniously manipulated to produce various distances, (1, a, etc., Figs. 3 and 5, mark the inuseful results. tercepts of these hyperboloid surfaces with their This invention relates primarily to the locacommon axis. Then "0 equals 25 tion and homing of aircraft by means of a stand- A ing wave pattern having multiple interference 5 zones over a limited area, and serving to guide the aircraft from a position aloft to a landing Where X18 the Wavelength 0f t e high frequency 0 place. radiation.

One object of my invention i th settin up To create an interference pattern such as is of an interference pattern from short wave raused in this invention, I use two transmittin diated energy in space. stations radiating at the same frequency and Another object is the use of the interference with constant phase relation. This may be ac- 5 pattern thus set up to determine the location of complished in one way by using a crystal cona means of transit with respect to the radiating trolled master oscillator at a lower frequency source. (say, 3000 kcs. for example) and transmitting Another object is to provide a means and its output through transmission lines or by ramethod for guiding the course of a means of diated energy to frequency multiplying amplitransit to bring it home to the radiating source. fiers where the frequency would be stepped up 40 Another object is to provide a means for guidto the desired value, say to 60 megacycles or ing the course of surface vessels in a fog with higher. (Figs. 1 and 2.)

respect to the radiating source. The interference surfaces surrounding a fixed A r Obj is o provide a series of intersource and a fixed receiving station take the form ference bands to serve as invisible markers in of ellipsoids. These ellipsoids have a minimum space. Their separation, at any distance from separation of a half wave length for the frethe source, being known, they can be used in quency of radiation. By similar reasoning it measuring distance travelled and timing the pasmay be shown that the interference surfaces sursage of a movable object along a line crossing rounding two similar sources of radiation said interference zones. (sources alike in frequency and phase) are hy- Other Objects and uses of the invention will perboloids for which the line determined by the be pp r h rip n whi h followsposition of the two radiators forms a common In e p ng drawings. forming p axis and with the radiators themselves as foci. of h s specification, nd wherein like numerals The minimum separation between surfaces is one-half wave length and lies along this axis between the foci.

This separation increases as the distance from the sources increases until where the distance is great compared to the focal distance the hyperboloids approach cones with the mid-point between radiators as a common vertex.

To better visualize such a situation assume two radiators operating at 60 megacycles or 5 meters and separated by 200 meters which is approximately the length of the larger carriers or rigid dirigibles. There would then be 200-+2 5 or 80 zones of interference surrounding the structure which would become evident in a receiving airplane as alternate regions of increased or reduced reception. At a distance of 20 miles the distance between like zones should be something like a mile.

A plane confining its flight to any single zone and pursuing the direction in which it dipped toward the earth would be led directly to the sources of radiation. The approach to the sources would be characterized by increased dip and finally by strong and increasingly rapid fluctuations along direction of flight parallel to the axis. The frequency of these fluctuations should reach a maximum when directly over the sources. Such a construction as is here suggested would set up a sort of interference grid in space surrounding some desired point by means of which any number of planes in widely different directions could simultaneously find their way back to it. The receiving equipment on the planes need have no characteristics other than those desirable for good aircraft operation; namely, absence of directional quality for reception.

I wish to point out that where the construction of transmission lines between master radiator and the high frequency multiplying amplifiers is not permissible, it should be physically possible to substitute radio frequency transmission and reception in lieu of them and still maintain synchronization of the high frequency radiators.

It will be understood that what has been described for aircraft will apply also to movable objects on the surface or under water, and application to these other media will be seen to come within the scope of this invention.

The methods shown for use with radio waves will be understood to apply also to accoustic, mechanical, or optical waves used in the same fashion;

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

I claim:

In a navigation system, means for establishing three dimensional radiant energy interference patterns in space for orienting a mobile receiver, comprising a pair of doublet antennae disposed in positions on opposite sides of a homing space within a navigable area with the axes of the doublets extending parallel to each other for establishing over said navigable area a plurality of spaced three dimensional hyperboloidal zones of radiant energy, means individual to each of said doublet antennae for impressing high frequency energy thereon, a high frequency oscillator, an antenna system located intermediate said doublet antennae and connected with said oscillator, and separate receiving antennae connected with each of said first mentioned means, 

